Tony Works Outs Some Pre-Telecast Kinks

This year it might have been something of a blessing that the Tony Awards pre-show awards weren’t televised: It gave the ceremony’s voice-over announcer a little time to work out the kinks.

At around 7:30 pm New York time, she introduced legit native and “Modern Family” star Jesse Tyler Ferguson (pictured up top), who co-hosted the pre-telecast kudos with Tony winner Jane Krakowski, as “Jesse Tyler Moore” — before quickly correcting herself. She didn’t stop herself from referring to him as an “Emmy winner,” though.

“Never won an Emmy,” he said when he got to the mic. “Just to be clear. Nominated, but never won.”

But the flub wasn’t on national TV, so he and the crowd could laugh about it before Ferguson and Krakowski were off, handing out the Tony honors (to legiters including industry stalwarts Bernard Gersten andPaul Libin) prior to the telecast’s 8:00 pm start.